By Charles Owens
For Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Bluefield — Planning for the big America 250 celebration at Bluefield’s Lotito Park is ongoing, and city officials are still hoping to reopen the city’s splash pad with its new amenities in conjunction with that event.
Work has been ongoing on the splash pad improvements, which will include new awnings, new shade structures, an expanded turf and a new concrete addition as well as a concession area. The goal is to still have the splash pad reopened in time for the Fourth of July celebration, City Manager Cecil Marson said.
“We’re pushing very hard and there will be more coming out in the press to ribbon cut the additions to the splash pad, the concession stand and the walkway project to do that on the second (of July),” Marson said.
As long as the weather cooperates, Marson said everything should be ready with the splash pad in time for the America 250 celebration at city park, which will be held on Saturday, July 4, from 1 to 9 p.m.
“So right now depending on how the weather holds — if we get a ton of rain, it’s going to complicate things — but right now we’re holding fast that we’ll be able to get it done by the second (of July) and have a great opening.” — City Manager Cecil Marson on the planned reopening of Bluefield’s splash pad with its new amenities in time for the Fourth of July.
“The concession (stand) crew is in here next week,” Marson said. “The concrete has has been poured and laid. They were doing that yesterday. The turf crew is supposed to be out there as we speak. The weather has not been overly cooperative today. But so far we’ve finished up some of the gravel work and the grading for the walkway that goes through the park. So right now depending on how the weather holds — if we get a ton of rain, it’s going to complicate things — but right now we’re holding fast that we’ll be able to get it done by the second (of July) and have a great opening.”
Marson said other pre-events also are planned, including the Field of Honor event that will open on Wednesday, July 1, on the lower field area of Bluefield University that will feature more than 300 American flags, followed by a fireworks show at the conclusion of the Ridge Runner baseball game at Bowen Field on July 2.
“We got a really big kickoff on the first of July with the Bluefield, Va. Lions Club on the Field of Honor, which will be a great event,” Marson said. “On the second there will be a huge baseball game with a big fireworks show at Bowen field, which we are really happy about.”
Rick Showwalter, director of parks and recreation, told members of the Bluefield Board of Directors at their June 9 meeting that the July 4th deadline will be tight, but is still the goal.
“It really isn’t one big project there, it’s three,” Showwater said. “We have the bathroom that we started working on a year ago. It’s being delivered. And that has to go down and the concrete has to be done before then and the turfing and all of that has to happen before July 4th. I’m just warning you that is going to be tight. We are working through it trying to line everybody up.”
Showwalter said the shade structures will be the fourth addition to the splash pad, adding that those are currently being prepared by public works crews.
“So keep your fingers crossed,” Showwalter said. “We will open up the splash pad as soon as we can but it’s very tight.”
The city board approved bids last month for the splash pad improvements and the walking trail project. The expanded walking trail will encompass much of city park’s interior.
A $31,414 bid was awarded to Top Dog Concrete for the splash pad concrete project, and a $63,301.80 bid was awarded to Playground Professionals LLC for the splash pad turf project.
The board also approved a bid of $96,800 with Exterior Services SWV Inc. for the walking trail project at city park.
The American 250 celebration at Lotito Park, which is being jointly organized by the city of Bluefield and the town of Bluefield, Va., will include vendors, live music, a petting zoo, a parade, bounce houses, craft vendors, a dunk booth, food trucks and more.
Read more from Bluefield Daily Telegraph, here.
